Swimming pool coping



Aug. 15, l 7 G. F. ARP 3,335,429

SWIMMING POOL COPING Filed July 9, 1964 M r'lnm-n 'IIIIIIIIIII'IIIIIINVENTOR. GEORGE F. A RP FIG. 5 v

HIS ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,335,429 SWIMMING POOL COPING George F. Arp, 557Whitney Road, Fairport, N.Y. 14450 Filed July 9, 1964, Ser. No. 381,5008 Claims. (Cl. 4-172) This invention relates to a swimming pool copingand more particularly to a coping formed of a plurality of units each ofwhich is a substantially rigid, hollow body molded of synthetic plasticmaterial.

By coping of a swimming pool is intended the top edge of a pool abovethe water line and extending generally horizontally around the upperedge of the pool to form a border for the pool. The coping is theportion of the pool from which people customarily jump into the water,and is also that portion of the pool which can be gripped by swimmers asthey climb out from the water. It is important that the coping bedurable, safe, and attractive.

Previous copings have been formed of concrete, tile, wood, and steel,and have suffered many disadvantages including expense both of originalinstallation and maintenance, and deterioration from fungus, termites,rust, and weather conditions such as frost and ice.

It is an object of this invention to make a swimming pool coping that iseconomical, durable, attractive, and safe.

Another object of the invention is to form a swimming pool coping ofmolded synthetic plastic material that has resistance to fungus, rust,termites, frost, ice, and other weather conditions.

Another object of the invention is to make a lightweight, hollow, moldedplastic swimming pool coping that is embossed to provide a safety treadon its upper surface, and that can be snap fit in place around the edgeof a pool.

Another object of the invention is to reduce the installation cost ofswimming pool copings.

Another object of the invention is to make a swimming pool coping thatis formed of standardized parts that are individually replacable.

Another object of the invention is to make a prefabricated swimming poolcoping that can be mass produced economically and that is adapted foreasy installation in a variety of swimming pools.

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvementsand combinations, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, thenovel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of thespecification.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a cross section of a swimming pool coping according to theinvention as installed at the edge of a pool;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a swimming pool coping formed of aplurality of members according to the invention;

FIG. 3 shows a side elevation of a plastic fastener by which a copingaccording to the invention can be secured to a swimming pool;

FIG. 4 shows a bottom view of a molded coping member according to theinvention; and

FIG. 5 shows a top view of a molded coping member according to theinvention.

Generally, a swimming pool coping according to the invention is formedof a plurality of molded members formed in convenient standardized sizesand secured in place around the edge of a swimming pool to form acontinuous coping. A plurality of such prefabricated members 10 is shownin FIG. 2 arranged around the edge of a swimming pool containing water11.

Each unit 10 of a coping according to the invention is preferably moldedin one piece as for example by blow molding, and is formed of asynthetic plastic material, for example polyethylene. Synthetic plasticmaterials are advantageous for their light weight, economy, durableness,attractiveness, resistance to wear, insects, termites, fungus, andrusting, and their safety in being easily formable with non-slip treadsand with rounded corners and edges. In addition, the natural resilienceof these materials protects them from small movements caused by freezingof the pool or the earth or other materials surrounding it. Moldedplastic coping members 10 according to the invention are thus undamagedby changes in temperature, are resistant to weather conditions, and aredurable, safe, and attractive.

Each member 10 according to the invention is preferably formed as agenerally closed, hollow body as best shown in FIG. 1 and having abottom portion 17, a top 15 and end walls 25. A raised rounded inneredge 12 of the member 10 preferably extends over the water a smalldistance beyond the edge 13 of the pool Wall 14. Such location and shapeof inner edge 12 of member 10 conceals and protects pool edge 13,provides an attractive curvature to the coping, and deflects back intothe pool the waves or splashes of water that rise up the pool wall.

The top surface 15 of member 10 is preferably sloped away from the edgeof the pool so that water splashed over the coping drains away from thepool rather than back into the pool thus tending to keep the pool freeof dirt. Also, the upper surface of top 15 is preferably embossed suchas by formation of small, longitudinal ridges 16 also shown in FIG. 5.Ridges 16, or other suitable embossed pattern can be incorporated intothe die by which the member 10 is molded and provides a slightly unevenupper surface for member 10 that functions as a nonslip tread offering asure footing for swimmers and also adds to the attractiveness of thecoping without increasing its expense.

To strengthen and give rigidity to hollow molded member 10, its bottomportion 17 is formed with a plurality of preferably longitudinal ridges18. As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, ridges 18 extend upwardly from baseportion 17 toward top portion 15 and are secured to the underside of topportion 15. The sides of ridges 18 are preferably oblique to the baseportion 17 and the upper surface of the pool wall 14 so as to brace topportion 15 and support it above base portion 17. Ridges 18 givesubstantial rigidity to molded member 10 and make it very strong yetlight in weight. The tops of ridges 18 are preferably fused to thebottom of top portion 15 during the molding process to give maximumstrength to the ridges and the member 10.

The coping member 10 according to the invention is preferably snap fitin place along the edge of a swimming pool, and its formation ofsynthetic plastic material having some resiliency allows such a snapfit. One preferred method for such a snap fitting of the member 10 inplace is best shown in FIG. 1. Spherical headed screws 20 are driveninto the upper surface of pool wall 14 so as to secure the sphericalheads in place. The screws 20 are preferably self threading metal screwsthat secure themselves in many materials and can be retained in concretewith the aid of expanding sleeves 27. Holes 19 (also illustrated in thebottom view of FIG. 4) are arranged in the lowermost portions of bottomportion 17 to register with screws 20' the spherical heads of which canthen be forced into holes 19 to retain the member 10 in place. Ofcourse, the number and position and arrangement of holes can be varied,and other snap fasteners and other securing means can be used within thespirit of the invention.

An alternative fastener is illustrated in FIG. 3. It comprises a baseportion 21 and a spherical head 22 and is adapted for securing copingmember to steel walled pools. Base portion 21 is snapped into engagementwith holes provided in the upper edge or flange portion 26 of a steelWalled pool, and apertures 19 in the base portion 17 of molded member 10are pressed down over spherical heads 22 to snap fit coping member 10 inplace and retain it at the edge of a pool.

Coping member 10 is preferably removable from spherical headed screws orfasteners or other snap fastening means by being forcibly snapped out ofplace. The preferred snap fasteners are sufficient for retaining copingmember 10 securely in place during normal use and yet they permitforcible removal without damage to parts. Easy removal of coping member16 and use of standardized parts allows replacement of any individualcoping member, or removal and replacement of an entire coping withobvious economic advantage.

While the invention has been disclosed herein by reference to thedetails of a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that suchdisclosure is intended in an illustrative, rather than a limiting sense,and it is contemplated that various modifications of the constructionand arrangement of the parts will readily occur to those skilled in theart, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appendedclaims.

-I claim:

1. A swimming pool coping member comprising: an oblong, hollow bodyformed of a closed, continuous, integral wall of resilient resinmaterial and confiured to be blow-moldable; bottom portions of said walllying in a plane for supporting said member on a flat surface; saidbottom portions being formed to define a plurality of apertures forreceiving fastening means; ridge portions of said wall communicatingwith said bottom portions and extending obliquely upward from saidbottom portions; a top portion of said wall spaced above said bottomportions and communicating with said bottom portions along the sides andends of said member; and areas of the under surface of said top portionbeing joined to the upper surface of the tops of said ridge portions.

2. The coping member of claim 1 wherein said bottom portions compriselongitudinal areas extending continuously the length of said member andconnected laterally by said ridge portions.

3. The coping member of claim 1 wherein said top portion extends furtherabove said bottom portions along one edge of said member than along theopposite edge of said member.

4. The swimming pool coping of claim 1 wherein said resin comprisespolyethylene, and the upper surface of said top portion is embossed toprovide a slip-free tread.

5. In combination, a plurality of spherical-headed fasteners secured toa swimming pool adjacent the edge thereof, and a swimming pool copingmember comprising: an oblong, hollow body formed of a single, closed,continuous, integral wall of resilient resin material and configured tobe blow moldable; bottom portions of said wall lying in a plane forsupporting said member on a flat surface; said bottom portions of saidwall being formed to define a plurality of apertures for receiving theheads of said fasteners in a snap-fit relation; ridge portions of saidwall communicating with said bottom portions and extending obliquelyupward from said bottom portions; a top portion of said =wall spacedabove said bottom portions and communicating with said bottom portionsalong the sides and ends of said member; and areas of the under surfaceof said top portions being joined to the upper surface of the tops ofsaid ridge portions.

6. The coping member of claim 5 wherein said bottom portions compriselongitudinal areas extending continuously the length of said member andconnected laterally by said ridge portions.

7. The coping member of claim 5 wherein said top portion extends furtherabove said bottom portions along one edge of said member than along theopposite edge of said member.

8. The swimming pool coping of claim 5 wherein said resin comprisespolyethylene, and the upper surface of said top portion is embossed toprovide a slip-free tread.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,846,736 8/ 1958 Quoss 494673,153,468 10/ 1964 Sweeney 52717 X 3,196,763 7/1965 Rushton 52618FOREIGN PATENTS 162,288 3/ 1955 Australia. 616,608 3/ 1961 Canada.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD W. COOKE, JR., Examiner.

J. L. RI DGILL, Assistant Examiner.

5. IN COMBINATION, A PLURALITY OF SPHERICAL-HEADED FASTENERS SECURED TOA SWIMMING POOL ADJACENT THE EDGE THEREOF, AND A SWIMMING POOL COPINGMEMBER COMPRISING: AN OBLONG, HOLLOW BODY FORMED OF A SINGLE, CLOSED,CONTINUOUS, INTEGRAL WALL OF RESILIENT RESIN MATERIAL AND CONFIGURED TOBE BLOW MOLDABLE; BOTTOM OF SAID WALL LYING IN A PLANE FOR SUPORTINGSAID MEMBER ON A FLAT SURFACE; AND BOTTOM PORTIONS OF SAID WALL BEINGFORMED TO DEFINE A PLURALITY OF APERTURES FOR RECEIVING THE HEADS OFSAID FASTENERS IN A SNAP-FIT RELATION; RIDGE PORTIONS OF SAID WALLCOMMUNICATING WITH SAID BOTTOM PORTIONS AND EXTENDING OBLIQUELY UPWARDFROM SAID BOTTOM PORTIONS; A TOP PORTION OF SAID WALL SPACED ABOVE SAIDBOTTOM PORTIONS AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID BOTTOM PORTIONS ALONG THESIDES AND ENDS OF SAID MEMBER; AND AREAS OF THE UNDER SURFACE OF SAIDTOP PORTIONS BEING JOINED TO THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE TOPS OF SAID RIDGEPORTIONS.